Lamb docking device



Jan. 10, 1950 M, J, WALCZAK 2,493,790

LAMB DOCKING DEVICE I Filed July 23, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 22 Michael J. Wa/czak 20 56m 72 v IINVENTOR.

/4 BY wflwvm Jan. 10, 1950 M. J. WALCZAK LAMB DOCKING DEVICE Filed July 25. 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

I Michael J. Wa/czak BY 2mm Patented Jan. 10, 1950 LAMBwDOCKING'DEVICE MichaelJfWalczak; Casper; W90. ApplicationrJuly 2s, 1948,.Serial No.40,321,

6 Claims." (01. na -303.10?

This invention. relates 1 generally to knives-and more particularly to a-lamb docking: device-tincludingr aplatform. with aeknif-epivotedthereon and means to=-heat-.the .knife :when' the knife is in. one position-N A primary object of thisinvention. isto :provide a: docking deviceasui-table. fort docking the tails of:lambs, .-.th'e knife'used in-the-device being heated prior to the actual cutting operation-=so that the wound-4 is searedxand-r nobleeding or infe' ction iswencounteredn Anothenobiect -of this: invention; .of a general nature is to provide means to facilitate: generally thewdocking; of .-r considerable. numbers of lambs,

witlsra minimum number 1 of men-being required to carry out this loperationt- Stilli'another Object-of =this invention is -.to provideeaw'dookingadevice which-.rcan be usedain the field so-. that.-the .lambsvneed. not be driven or transported; great distances to adocking station, this:devicerbeingpeasilysshitted: so that the docking statiomitselfscan z-bermoved to the most convenient :portions ofntheasheepranch,- and in: ithiS regardr (it -should--also-be noted that v--a canopy-i is provided to preventr-the wind fromdnterfer-ing;

greatly withitheheatingof the knife;

Still another object ofthis" invention is to provider a -docking device in which, .thesknife. is held" in- :heating-w position automatically, r and. in

which: adjustment is provided. in tailuiding:

means, whereby the device may be adjustedifor use with -lambst.ofslightly different ages.

Andaa last object to he. mentioned specifically isz-to provide=:a-- device of this naturaW-hich ris relatively,inexpensivecand "practicable to manufacture, which: is: light: to transport, whichds extremely, simpleand convenient to: use, a and which will give generally 1' efficient and durable services Withflthese .obj'ects'. definitely,- in- -view, this invention residesdrrcertain novel features of .construction', combination and. arrangement of. elements and. portions. as will be hereinafter. described-fin the-specification, particularly pointed out in. the appended. claims, and illustrated; in

2; a short upright standard within the-canopy; and

Figure 6 is a. fragmentary horizontal sectional view, .taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Similar characters of reference designatesimilarror. identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the several views inzthe drawings.

Referringnow to the drawings in detail, the environment wherewith this invention isiadapted to be used. includes a support .59, whichimay-be a table, bench orany, other suitable structure to be found at the scene-of operation.

The devicetper. se includes a platform 12 which can very wellbe constructed of metal (and this platform has depending end flanges M-with .attaching clamps i6 rigidlyisecured thereto, thumb scrlewpor-tions ofjtheseclamps being indicated at 8.

A heater. 20 which may conveniently take the form of an. ordinary blow torch heater, issecured toth'e. platform l2iby an attaching bracketiZ ofany suitablercharacter, the fuel and.air..,mixel 24'of the heater having the inner end .thereof extendingwithin a canop 26 of inverted U- shape. The canopy 26 isrrigidlysecuredvto the upper faceoi the platform I them one end thereof andlone endoflth'e canopy may be closedas indicated at, 28.

A. short upright standard 30 'is rigidly. secured asrindi'catediat 32"on.thesurface of the platform l2 .withinthe canopylfi, and this standard'ilil is bifurcated,' atleast'at the top thereof, as at 34,? to facilitate ,the pivotal securement thereon of an'larm. 36, byvmeanst of Ta. pivotpin 31. The

free end 38'of the. arm is guided by a vertically handle. engaging the short standard'iifi and a secondlposition with. the other end of therh'andle engaging a stop, 52 l01rg'rtudinal1y adjustably secured on.th'e..arm 35. The handleis perforated at aapluralityof points 54 to allow air circulation within-the tubularhandle in order to dissipate heat.fromthewportionof the handle remote from the knife. Theknife 44"depends from the said flanges as adjacent said one end; of the handle andit should be carefully noted that the knife. istnotrrigidl'y h'eldin thesefianges since it is dsir'edithat'tha cuttin edgeof the knife may conform withtlie surface offa cutting block-5t ofiwood or othersuitable material having a portion projecting upwardly through a recess inthe platform l2 adjacent the knife 44 when the same terpretation of the A tail guide 60 including a plate member with Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A lamb docking device comprising a platform, a knife shiftably mounted on the platform, a heater adapted to heat the knife when the knife is in heating position, said knife being shiftable into an operative position to cut off a upstanding diverging flanges 62 at one .end and ed through a depending flange 01! the underside of the platform 12 and this screw turns freely in thedepending flange 64. A spring .12 iscompressed between the flanges 64 and 10 to biasthe tail guide in one direction.

In the. form of this invention described above,

the arm 36 is biased to pivot upwardly at the end 38, by means of a spring M secured between anattaching bracket 16 on the underside of the platform l2 and a downwardly turned portion,

18 on the other end of the arm 36, the platform being slotted as at 80 to allow this portion-16 ,to reciprocate, all as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figure 4. In the modification of this invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the portion I8 of the arm 36 is deleted, and a spring 82 is compressed between the free end of a shortened arm 36 and the platform I2,

the spring 82 being guided by a modified standard 49 which may take the form of a tube, the tube being vertically slotted to receive the arm 36'. The other portions of the invention are unmodifled in this second type of arm and spring biasing construction.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details, taken in connection with the above recitation of the objectssought to be achieved by this invention. In recapitulation, it might be added that when docking lambs, the operator, by feeling on the inside of the tail, first locates the joint to 'be cut, which is about'one and one-half inches from the body. The operator holds the lamb against the platform l2 with the tail in the tail guide 60, this guide being adjusted by means of the. set screw 68 so that a correct length of stub will be left after the docking operation.

Of course, when lambs in considerable numbers and of equal age are to be docked, the tail guide 60 is not adjusted for each individual .lamb. With the heater 20 in operation, the knife 44 will be preheated and the handle 50 will be grasped by a second operator and the handle and knife will be shifted along the arm 36 into engagement with the stop 52 and the knife will then be lowered sharply upon the lambs tail and against the cutting block 56. knife is heated to a cherry red heat, the wound is seared and no bleeding or infection will be encountered. The spring 14 or 82 will return the arm to the position indicated in Figure 1 and the knife 44 will be again returned to be reheated.

Obviously many minor variations may be mad .in this invention without departure from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, this invention should be limited only as determined by a proper in.-

terms and in the subjoined claims. a

Since the lambs tail held between a portion of the platform and said knife in its operative position, said knife having a supporting arm pivoted on said platform and. slidably supporting said knife.

2. A device according to claim 1, and including means to guide said arm.

3. A lamb docking device comprising a platform, a knife shiftably mounted on the platform, a heater adapted to heat the knife when the knife is in heating position, said knife bein shiftable into an operative position to cut off a lambs tail held between a portion of the platform and said knife in its operative position, said knife having a supporting arm ivoted on said platform and slidably supporting said knife, said knife having a handle telescopically associated with'said arm.

4. A lamb docking device comprising a platform, a knife shiftably mounted 'onthe platform, a heater adapted to heat the knife when the knife is in heating position, a block on said platform, said knife being shiftable into an operative position to cut off alamb's tail held between said block and said knife in its operative position, said platform having a guidefor a lambs tail adjacent said block in its operative position, said guide comprising a plate having diverging flanges.

5. A lamb docking device comprising a platform, a knife shiftably mounted on the platform,

a heater adapted to heat the knife when the knife is in heating position, said knife being shiftable into an operative position to cut 01f a lambs tail held between a portion of the platform and said knife in its operative position, said platform having a guide for a lambs tail adjacent the knife in its operative position, and said guide being adjustable transversely of the platform so that tails may be docked at different lengths. V H

6. A lamb docking device, comprising a platform, an arm; having a pivotal connection on said platform, a knife longitudinally slidably mounted on the arm, a heater adapted to heat the knife when the knife is in heating position,

'said knife being shiftable into an operative po- MICHAEL WALCZAK.

REFERENCES crrno The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 1,399,479 Harvey Dec. 6, 1921 1,425,671

Metzler Aug. 15, 1922 

